GeekWire’s Elevator Pitch Ep. 8: Which entrepreneur will win over the judges as they pitch inside this iconic skyscraper’s elevator?

We’re in the home stretch of GeekWire’s Elevator Pitch, a fun new startup pitch competition that started earlier this year and will conclude with one winner who’ll be chosen live on stage at the GeekWire Summit on Oct. 2. Here’s the gist of this fun new show: Entrepreneurs pitch their cutting-edge ideas in the 48-seconds it takes to rise to the top of Seattle’s iconic Smith Tower.

In the latest episode, sponsored by Smartsheet, we hear from three startup entrepreneurs who are building innovative products in area as diverse as online advertising; e-commerce marketplaces; and new way to solve the homelessness crisis. Watch the eighth episode above to see who’ll make it to the top.

This week’s presenters are: Deep Katyal, the founder of Advangelists, a new platform for automating digital advertising; Laura Clise, the founder of Intentionalist, a new startup that’s helping people find and support diverse local businesses; and Jonathan Kumar, the founder of Samaritan, which is bringing an innovative approach to solving the homelessness crisis.

After the ride to the top of the Smith Tower, the entrepreneurs face tough questions from our judges: Flying Fish Partners co-founder Heather Redman; Smartsheet executive and entrepreneur Stephen Branstetter; and Starbucks executive and entrepreneur Richard Tait.

Just 48 seconds. That’s all it takes to reach the top of Seattle’s Smith Tower. And that’s the amount of time we’re giving entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas as they cruise to the top of one of the city’s oldest skyscraper. Welcome to GeekWire’s Elevator Pitch, presented by Smartsheet.

Twenty-seven entrepreneurs are competing in this unique startup pitch competition. But only one will truly make it to the top. Go here to watch past episodes.

We’ve got just one more episode in this season, and we’ll be back to showcase entrepreneurs as they rise to the top of the Smith Tower. In early October, winning entrepreneurs from past episodes will present live onstage in front of more than 900 business and tech leaders at the 2018 GeekWire Summit.

A big thanks to Smartsheet for sponsoring The Elevator Pitch. Also, thanks to Smith Tower, Stefan Scherperel and his video production team at Fueled Creative and GeekWire’s Cara Kuhlman and Stefania Hajnosz, who have assisted in the coordination of this series.

Thanks for watching, and be sure to subscribe to GeekWire’s YouTube channel to catch every episode, as well as our latest reports on what’s shaking in tech.